Like many people I have been watching the Olympics and taking it easy enjoying the summer holiday.

However, that didn’t stop me
finding time to investigate the possibility of a replacement piano. My trusty Chappell upright, which was in the family for three generations and which I have practised on since childhood, found it more and more difficult to keep its pitch and has had to bow out. When my pupil Jenny asked with a frown “Is it me or the piano?” I knew procrastination was no longer an option!

After taking measurements I concluded that a medium sized Grand Piano would just about fit in the music room and still allow for moving around, playing other instruments and teaching. There is a difference between what is desirable and what is afforadable, and I knew that my dream piano of a good Steinway, even a restored one, was sadly well out of reach. Still, after much research I eventually found a piano that was perfect for the job.

All other things being equal, the longer a piano is the better it sounds, so there was no way on Earth that I would have settled on a baby grand. Trying a couple out only reinforced that opinion and a decent upright for the same money would be far superior. Still, after trying out a grand that was only 5′ 8″, I knew I had found one that had a remarkable sound for its length. It wasn’t a Steinway; it was a Kemble. It was new, not second hand – which is what I originally intended. And it was certainly over-budget, but just about afforable with some financial jiggling.

So, I am very happy to announce that from now on piano lessons will take place on my “Kemble Conservatory KC-173” (173 is the length in cm). You can see a photo of it in this article and you can also see the page from the Kemble Brochure. In a word the KC-173 is like an upmarket and certainly superior sounding Yamaha C2.